


somewhere that's green

by syncxpate (bluememory)



Category: SHINee
Genre: Blood, Gore, M/M, POV Outsider, Science Fiction, disturbing imagery, ish, not graphic but yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 01:58:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21153701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluememory/pseuds/syncxpate
Summary: It's a late summer evening when the Plant lands in "Le Petit Flower Shoppe", a tiny florist shop on the main street of a sleepy town.//In which Kibum is a flower shop assistant who one day finds a very strange, very carnivorous plant





	somewhere that's green

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #5: [Member of choice] is a flower shop assistant with a crush on his co-worker. One day, he stumbles upon the existence of an unusual plant that grows in size day by day. Eventually he realizes it's flesh eating and he must decide how to navigate it while also pursuing his relationship with his co-worker.
> 
> little shop of horrors is one of my favourite musicals so this was fun. title from one of the songs. 
> 
> first fest participation in a long time... sending out a work into the world is terrifying so thank you j for beta-ing for me, brainstorming with me and prodding me to finish and submit when i had half a mind not to <3

It's a late summer evening when the Plant lands in "Le Petit Flower Shoppe", a tiny florist shop on the main street of a sleepy town. 

_ Pretentious name, _the Plant notes to itself idly.

Secluding itself in a flower trough right at the back, the Plant starts out small and inconspicuous, masquerading as just another sapling. In the small place too full of green, the humans never look twice, too busy tending to everything else. The other plants though, _ they _ notice. Especially once the Plant sucks the nutrients out of its neighbours in the trough. But plants have roots and they cannot move and they cannot stop anything. At least not this.

The shop is mostly helmed by two boys; a short one with soft eyes who sings while he works and a taller one with sharp eyes who touches all the plants with careful fingers. It becomes easily apparent that the short one likes the tall one, stares at him with longing gaze when he isn't looking, hovers around him like a foolish dog to an owner who no longer wants him. Thwarted love perhaps, unrequited maybe, unseen for sure. The Plant doesn't quite care for romance, but over the years, albeit from a distance, has observed the human race enough to recognise it. What an incapacitating emotion. Yet how desperately humans seem to yearn to possess it. 

It's uneventful at first. The Plant focuses on silently growing, gathering its strength from the ignorant insects that trek careless and carefree about its jaws, and from its neighbours that sometimes grow too close. It wants, no, _ needs _ something different, something _ more _, but cannot just yet. So it survives on this part sustenance, almost-life. 

It is primarily a reconnaissance after all, and despite the Plant's personal plans, it still needs to follow instructions. So it watches, and it listens. 

The short one's name is Jonghyun and he likes talking to the plants.Tells them his dreams and ambitions and secret hopes in quiet whispers as he waters and weeds. Most times he sings too, little nonsense ditties that possibly mean nothing at all. But the plants love them, they love _ him _, find him adorable, stretch out their stalks to brush against his skin, preen against his gentle fingers. Jonghyun owns the store. Or at least his mother does, and Jonghyun runs it. Most days, six days a week, except when it's closed on Wednesdays. 

The tall one is called Kibum. He's not related to the shop, even though he's there almost as often as Jonghyun. He's a student of plants. Perhaps that's why he is careful and clinical and pulls out leaves and flowers and scrutinises them through his glasses. He doesn't sing to them or talk to them, just carefully observes. He seems too serious sometimes, lost in his own mind, but he softens when Jonghyun comes near, jokes with him, teases him, and laughs, always fond. The other plants don't particularly care for him, veer away when he gets too close, but the Plant thinks maybe it could use him.

Kibum is the one who first discovers the Plant, coming across it suddenly in the midst of the regular cleanup. His eyes widen when he sees it, and he runs a gentle finger around its jaws. "Hello there pretty," he whispers, "what are you?" If the Plant could smile, it would. It considers closing its jaws around Kibum's finger and biting deep but doesn't. It can't. Not yet. So it settles for letting its teeth slide over and break the skin. When the blood seeps out of the little puncture, Kibum barely notices, but the Plant does, and lets it dribble into its mouth. The taste is like an old friend long missed, and the Plant shudders, feeling its body stretch out in reaction, just slightly but enough that Kibum yells for Jonghyun. 

"What happened?" Jonghyun asks, peering out from beside a bonsai plant. "Did aliens land?" 

Kibum scoffs and rolls his eyes at the words and Jonghyun's earnest expression, then launches into an incoherent excited speech.

"It's a new type of plant! I think? Like a venus fly trap but it has these pitchers. Almost like it hybridized with a pitcher plant, has that happened before? Did your mother make it?"

"Please don't tell me you're selling it! I want to study it, it would be so cool, like an experiment, you know?"

"Of course you wouldn't know, you just like plants because they're pretty. But I want to investigate. Do you think your mother will be okay with that? I could turn it into my thesis project. My Prof would love it and and-" His words falter when his eyes focus on Jonghyun again.

"-why are you staring at me like that?"

Jonghyun jerks back into attention, and the dopey fond look that had been on his face fades into a cheeky smile. "You're just really cute when you get all sciencey," he says.

Kibum blinks at the words, stutters out a few attempts at a response then glances away, pink crawling up his neck. "Don't say that. Just tell me if I can keep it," he says finally, hands reaching up to tug on his hair.

The soft fond expression is back on Jonghyun's face. He laughs quietly and shrugs. "Yeah sure. Mum didn't create it anyway, a bird brought the seed in probably. I'm sure it's no problem if you keep it and study it or whatever it is you plant nerds do." He ducks after he says the words and from the commotion that ensues, the Plant guesses some fighting must be going on but that doesn't matter to it. All that matters is the light that had sparked in Kibum's eyes -- curiosity, intrigue, fascination and maybe, just maybe a little bit of fanaticism. 

Enough to be caught.

⁂

Kibum is a fastidious caretaker, diligent with water and fertilizer, careful in investigating every withered leaf and broken stem. His constant need to run fingers over the Plant works in its favour, and it draws blood at every turn, until Kibum's fingers, palms and arms are scattered with tiny cuts, each negligible on its own but in total enough that the Plant blossoms. 

"It's growing so fast," Kibum whispers excitedly to Jonghyun. Jonghyun smiles and obligingly but awkwardly pats the Plant. 

"You're doing very well," he whispers excitedly to the Plant itself. The Plant does nothing in response. Kibum doesn't seem to expect it.

He clips off leaves to do studies, scrapes off cells, tries to grow other similar saplings using various methods of transplanting. Nothing quite works, nothing is quite what it seems. "Your biological makeup is weird," Kibum tells the Plant. "And I can't seem to figure out how you reproduce. But mystery is often what drives science right? At least that's what my Prof always says. I think she'd like you." 

The Plant thinks not. But perhaps now isn't quite the time to attempt communication. 

Kibum hums an absent minded tune as he turns the pot, probably checking for nonexistent pests. The ones that try are the ones the Plant eats. He's still talking. "You know, my Prof still thinks I'm working on a soil project. I haven't told her about you yet, I need a bit more data I think. Don't want her to think I'm wasting my life. Which nearly everyone in my extended family already thinks so there's that..." Kibum makes a face.

That's the other thing that Kibum has started doing. He talks to the Plant, tells it about his day, his family, his research. It's rather disparate from his more clinical approach to the rest of the store, and the Plant chalks it up to the increased scientific appeal. It isn't quite a regular plant, or strictly speaking maybe not quite a plant at all, and that perhaps is the draw. 

Kibum also talks about Jonghyun. 

"We grew up together," he says, gaze faraway. "He was so irritating as a kid, always teasing me. But I guess we got better? Growing up does things. He's one of the gentlest people I know."

"He's a musician," Kibum continues while he tilts water into the flower pot. "Well sometimes. He plays bass and sings for this indie band he was part of since high school. They once got chosen to be part of the live band for this Chinese singer. So he went around the world. It was amazing."

"He's such a homebody though. He hated it a little. I think he missed his family too much when he was touring," he continues, as he clips off dead parts of the Plant's leaves. 

"I kinda like that," he confides, as he gently places his tools aside. "A lot." 

Jonghyun bounds in just then, talking excitedly about a flower arrangement that he was working on and Kibum turns to him and smiles fond and soft and _ captured _ and just like that the Plant is forgotten.

_That one is a distraction, _ the Plant muses. _ Could be a problem._

⁂

Jonghyun watches Kibum a lot, quietly, notices whenever he's struggling, slips in unasked to help him, with customers, or carrying things, inventory...even just to prod him into laughter when he's drifting off, so maybe it isn't strange that he notices and points out the cuts first.

"You're getting cut a lot these days," Jonghyun murmurs to Kibum, a week into his caretaker role. He draws closer to where Kibum is hovering around the Plant at the back of the shop, reaches out and lightly brushes his gloved hands over Kibum's bare ones.

"Yeah I dunno. Guess it's thorns or something? They don't hurt that much though. I don't even notice them sometimes." Kibum shrugs easily and tilts a smile in Jonghyun's direction.

But Jonghyun doesn't smile back, instead his mouth twists into a worried frown. Stripping off his own gloves, he gently pulls them over Kibum's hands. "Wear those," he says, turning away to go back to the counter and a waiting customer. "They'll help." 

"Okay," Kibum whispers to Jonghyun's retreating back. "Okay." He just stands there and stares at Jonghyun for a long while after that, swirling emotion in his eyes. 

"I think I might love him," he blurts to the Plant later, colour high on his cheekbones. His gloved hands skim over the Plant's jaw and at the taste of rubber, it curses at the tiny kind-eyed boy. 

⁂

Without access to Kibum's blood, blocked at every turn by the unwieldy rubber gloves that Kibum now very carefully and religiously pulls on, the Plant stops growing. The lack of consistent blood, tiny amounts as they were, takes a toll on it and it slowly, carefully makes the decision to shut itself down, shrinking back into a smaller, less energy-exhaustive, less blood dependent version. 

Kibum panics. He tries fertiliser, shifting the pot in and out of sunlight, more water, less water, hand feeding it insects and still the Plant continues to deteriorate. He doesn't take off his gloves. 

"I ruined it," Kibum wails at Jonghyun after a week of steady decline, uncharacteristically frantic and dishevelled. Jonghyun's eyebrows crease with concern and he carefully pulls Kibum into a tentative hug. 

"You'll find a way," he coos. 

"No I won't, it's over," Kibum says mournfully.

"It's not," Jonghyun whispers, hands moving up and down Kibum's back in gentle strokes. "It's really not."

Kibum sniffles and nods and leans his head on Jonghyun's shoulder. They stay like that for a while. 

⁂

Two days later, Kibum does find a way. Or at least, two stray directionally challenged birds find it for him. 

It's a lazy afternoon. Kibum and Jonghyun are away from the back of the store where the Plant considers its kingdom, but it can still hear the low hum of their conversation. 

The birds flutter in through the back window close to where the Plant has just been relocated in the hopes of the sun working its magic. They land on the slope of the Plant's head and titter to each other only for a moment, but that is enough for the Plant to arch up and capture them both in its jaws, nothing but a single loud distressed chirp left as evidence. The hum of conversation stops at the sound and then quick footsteps draw near. 

Kibum walks to the back and then squints and makes his way carefully to the Plant, curiosity across his face. "You grew again," he murmurs. "What was it? The sun or the new fertiliser or-" His eyes catch on a tiny bone and bloody feather lying on the soil near the Plant's roots. "Or...that." He stares at it in quiet contemplation and there is a moment of silent suspense and the Plant isn't sure if the suggestion would catch or...When Kibum looks up, understanding is clear on his face. 

"Bum? What was it?" Jonghyun calls.

"Nothing," Kibum says quickly. He pockets the bone and feather and reaches out to brush fingers over the Plant. "Just a lost bird."

Just like that. Caught.

⁂

"Carnivorous indeed," Kibum mutters. He lifts a squirming mouse over the Plant's mouth, watches mutely as it stretches up and takes it whole. 

There's a weak spot in everyone; when you push the right buttons, offer the right incentive, they will bend. For some it's acceptance, some love, others sex and many others fame. For Kibum, it's science. The dream of glory and acknowledgement. Success. Validation. The Plant tugs on that string. And Kibum brings mice and rats, even hamsters, bought from a nearby pet shop, stolen from his school laboratories. Lures birds in with bird seed and treats. Feeds them to the eager Plant and enthusiastically measures the frequency of its flowers blooming, the diameter of its stem, the size of the trap and the pitchers. Takes copious secret notes that he still doesn't share with his supervisor, perhaps too fearful of the research and potential glory ripped away from him.

And the Plant grows. Silently, steadily. They have to rearrange the back of the store to accommodate it, shifting other plants to the front or cloister them closer together. Eventually, they give it the entire store room, together with the tools, hidden from customers, and despite the lack of sunlight, it still grows. Deadlier by the day, even if Kibum doesn't quite want to understand that yet.

"Bum?" Kibum's mouth curves up into a smile at the sound of Jonghyun's voice, even as his hands move to quickly hide the container of mice and birds under a cloth. The Plant, however, would groan if it could. That boy is still very much a distraction. 

"Hey." Kibum turns away from the Plant. "You look nervous," he says, voice teasing.

"I am-" Whatever he wants to say gets lost, because his gaze gets stuck on the Plant and he flinches. "It's really huge now huh, it's wider than your waist." His hands move apart to illustrate it, discomfort in every movement. 

"I don't have a very big waist," Kibum points out, still teasing but his laugh is cut short when Jonghyun's frown doesn't fade. "You okay?"

"Can you come here?" Jonghyun asks somberly. Kibum's head tilts but he makes his way over the short distance to Jonghyun. 

"You okay?" He asks again.

"I- That thing just scares me," Jonghyun says, glancing at the Plant from the corner of his eyes. 

Kibum laughs softly. "Silly. It's just a plant."

"Yeah but I just rather not-" Jonghyun waves his hands wordlessly and Kibum nods, reaching out to pat his shoulder. Jonghyun freezes at the touch, and when Kibum moves to take his hand away, he catches it. 

"Jjong?" Kibum's voice is small and wavering.

"You've never called me that before," Jonghyun says in wonderment. "I like it."

Kibum doesn't reply. 

"Uh okay so-" Jonghyun blinks at Kibum and lets out an awkward laugh. "We've known each other for _ years _. Why is this so hard?"

"Are you going to fire me?" 

"What?" Jonghyun's laugh turns full blown. "No, of course not. I'm asking- well, _ trying _ to ask you on a date." He sucks in a breath like he's bracing himself. "So. Are you free tomorrow after we close up? We could do a cliche movie and dinner thing but if you wanna do something else that works too. I just want to spend some time with y- why are you looking at me like that?"

"You aren't joking?"

"Why would I! Kibum-" But his words peter out when Kibum launches bodily at him, throwing arms tight around his neck.

"It's just- I've liked you for_ ever _."

"Me too," Jonghyun says softly, pressing a smile into Kibum's shoulder. "Me too."

"So tomorrow?"

"Yes tomorrow." 

They stay like wrapped together for a long while until Jonghyun has to disentangle himself to serve a customer. When he's left alone, Kibum dances around the Plant in quiet, distracted glee and accidentally releases two birds.

_ Might have to do something about that. _

⁂

It's the Plant's fault really, the way the whole thing goes down. It knows that, and in hindsight it probably should have waited a little while more before making a move, but every being, human or otherwise, can be a little petty. 

"You're so big now," Kibum sings the next day, as he tips a few mice into the Plant's jaws. "I kinda understand why Jonghyun is a little scared."

He watches quietly as the mice are quickly swallowed. "This is too little for you now isn't it? Maybe you need something bigger. Rabbits? Cats?" His face twists as the words come out of his mouth. "That's kinda...gross I think but everyone does animal testing, and this is kind of like that right? I hope that's enough for you." Despite the attempt at a placating tone, there's still distaste in the look on his face and in a fit of pique the Plant rises up and latches onto the tip of Kibum's index finger and bites down. 

Kibum sucks in a ragged breath then releases a scream and jerkily tries to pull his hand away. There's a ugly crack when he succeeds and when he raises his shaking hand, red blood is streaming in slow trails down his hand and arm, stark against the paleness of his skin. "Fuck," he mutters. "Fuck fuck what the hell." He backs away from the Plant in horror, pressing his T-shirt against the wound, the blood turning the pale blue cloth black. But his face, when the Plant looks, isn't angry or afraid, it's just betrayed and confused. "This is what you want, then," he whispers slowly, and for a single illuminated moment, it looks like he understands, it looks like he'll give the Plant what it needs. 

Then Jonghyun runs in, and Kibum turns to him and the moment is broken. 

"Kibum, oh my God." Jonghyun leans closer and curves his hands over Kibum's, fluttering gently over them. "What the hell happened? We need to get you to a hospital, come on." His hand catches on Kibum's elbow and tugs, and in his distracted concern, he draws just a little too close to the Plant. The Plant braces itself, and before Kibum can shout a warning, it catches the opportunity and closes its jaws around Jonghyun's elbow, pulling his entire arm into its mouth. Jonghyun's ensuing scream is beautiful, and when the Plant bites down, the scream elongates and shifts in pitch. It can almost taste his sweet anguish, merging in with the thick honey of his blood and flesh. 

"Jjong!" Kibum is screaming too now, desperate and frightened and if the Plant could, it would've laughed, because it can see the plan unfolding now, victory in its grasp if it could just swallow this boy-

The flare of pain on its side breaks the daydream and when it looks, Kibum is stabbing its stem with scissors and hitting it with a shovel, tears streaming down his face. It should be inadequate in any and every scenario, but the moment of inattention is enough for Jonghyun to pull himself free with a broken hoarse cry, grab Kibum and tug him away too. In the doorway they stop for a moment and framed by sunlight, the Plant sees Kibum curled protectively around Jonghyun, sees his fear mixed with a guilty sort of curiosity, sees proud anger on the lines of Jonghyun's face, sees his mangled, bleeding arm hanging limply against his side, flashes of bone glinting white through the torn flesh. The bright blood winds around his arm and drips onto the floor and in greed the Plant reaches out again. But the humans turn and run completely out of the store, dots of blood in their wake, making wood and plaster their barricade.

"Fuck," it hears Kibum exclaim. "You're bleeding so much."

"Hospital," comes Jonghyun's voice, like through gritted teeth. "Then we deal with this."

Then they're gone.

In the silence that follows, the Plant settles down to wait. The taste of Jonghyun's blood still lingers, as well as a metallic smell in the air around the shop. And its jaws curve into something that's almost a smile, albeit a bloody, crooked one. It's a definite setback but the Plant doesn't see it as a loss, it still sees possibility, eventual victory. It doesn't take much stock of Jonghyun's plan to "deal with this", there is little to be done against it, not when it's almost strong enough. Just a little more human blood, one more person, a hand, a leg or an arm. Close enough. 

By the time they return -- and they would, they needed the shop -- the ingested blood would have done its job, would have healed its wounds, and then it could start picking the humans off slowly, one by one. Starting with Jonghyun and his family. Then its kin could land and populate-

It's still lost in fantasy and plans when Kibum comes back, earlier than expected, holding a container of a strange-smelling liquid. Liquid he throws at the Plant, determined angry expression on his face. The Plant arches towards him, leaves and vines stretching to scoop him up, but Kibum remains just out of reach, running even further before the Plant can grab at him.

When he's far enough, he turns back and holds up a single lit match, before wordlessly tossing it in, and the last thing the Plant sees before its vision bursts into red and orange is the sorrow that creeps into Kibum's face.

_ Goodbye. _

⁂

When it regains consciousness, it's under the familiar turquoise sky again, beloved long unseen faces peering anxiously at it. 

_ They almost got you. _ Master projects. There is concern, albeit faint, from what can be seen from under the flaps on His face. 

_ I am sorry. _

_ It is of no matter. You are young and inexperienced and this after all, is only step one. Next time- _

Master gazes out at the tiny blue and green sphere spinning languidly far below them. 

_ Next time... _

["My mother is going to disown me," Jonghyun says, as they're standing across the street, watching the flames lick up the walls of the shop, "Or worse, she might set my sister on me. At least we saved most of the other plants."

He shudders dramatically and Kibum's mouth twists in shame. "I'm sorry," he blurts out, "this is all my fault." 

Jonghyun slings his uninjured arm around Kibum's waist. "Really? It's your fault a weird plant appeared in our store and started eating flesh?" His voice is amused. 

"No, but I should have stopped it once I realised. But I was so- It got to me somehow...I fed it mice! And thought of buying rabbits for it and ugh! And, and _ you _ got hurt. I would never have wanted to hurt _ you _." His eyes linger over Jonghyun's bandaged arm. 

"_You _didn't, it did. You were just as much a victim as me." 

Kibum just looks at Jonghyun for a moment, then nods quietly and leans his head against Jonghyun's shoulder as they watch the firemen scramble to put the fire out. 

"You know, if you really want to make it up to me, we can reschedule that date. And go on a few more." 

Kibum laughs and presses closer against Jonghyun. "As many as you want."]


End file.
